[shaw8700@outlook.com]

But the new one will be golf cart accessible!

Right now we are members of BJ’s but I'm looking forward to what Costco offers.

[asianthree]

BJ’s has some deals, But one has to clip coupons, in the beginning no signage that that item was less cost with a stupid coupon. Once I returned home opened the ad book, I could have saved $36) Not a fan of their deli products, basically 4 items at snack bar. Good thing, nobody in the store and less lines for gas. Best thing for BJs WaWa’s in right in front. It was a one and done.

I have belonged to both Sam’s and Costco since opening in our area. Sam’s always easy to find parking, less people, our business membership got us in at 7am. Sams has certain items not found at any other box stores. Save on pets food, I like to buy just one meat, poultry, or seafood item counter. I buy their Salmon, office supplies. I don’t eat anything at their snack bar. Staff is few and far between if you need help it’s not at Sam’s.

Costco best return policy than any retailer. My Dyson ($450) stopped working at 15 months. I asked at the desk if still available. Desk looked up my account saw the purchase, told me to return for full refund, and shipped same item to my house. I like their chicken, salad and soup better than Sam’s. We use their optometry department 2 pairs of glasses a year, buy tires, batteries for all 3 cars. Most of the items I buy aren’t bulk that some seem to think. Over 20 years, never paid a yearly membership, because my year end check is more than membership fee. I grab their chicken Caesar salad and frozen latte at the snack bar, on my way out to fuel up for the ride home. Their customer service is worth every penny.We had 7 Costco within 20-55 minutes from our house. So no matter where I had to be there was a Costco near by.

If I had to only pick one it would be Costco. (I buy my eggs at TJ’s if farm is not available)

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by shaw8700@outlook.com

But the new one will be golf cart accessible!

Right now we are members of BJ’s but I'm looking forward to what Costco offers.

It'd be around 40 minutes each way by golf cart from my house. I sometimes make a Tuesday drive to Fresh Market to get ground meat for $3.99/lb. Have lunch at Culver's, walk the strip malls, browse in Marshall's, etc. It's been awhile since I've done that, does Fresh Market still offer that?

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by asianthree

BJ’s has some deals, But one has to clip coupons, in the beginning no signage that that item was less cost with a stupid coupon. Once I returned home opened the ad book, I could have saved $36) Not a fan of their deli products, basically 4 items at snack bar. Good thing, nobody in the store and less lines for gas. Best thing for BJs WaWa’s in right in front. It was a one and done.

I have belonged to both Sam’s and Costco since opening in our area. Sam’s always easy to find parking, less people, our business membership got us in at 7am. Sams has certain items not found at any other box stores. Save on pets food, I like to buy just one meat, poultry, or seafood item counter. I buy their Salmon, office supplies. I don’t eat anything at their snack bar. Staff is few and far between if you need help it’s not at Sam’s.

Costco best return policy than any retailer. My Dyson ($450) stopped working at 15 months. I asked at the desk if still available. Desk looked up my account saw the purchase, told me to return for full refund, and shipped same item to my house. I like their chicken, salad and soup better than Sam’s. We use their optometry department 2 pairs of glasses a year, buy tires, batteries for all 3 cars. Most of the items I buy aren’t bulk that some seem to think. Over 20 years, never paid a yearly membership, because my year end check is more than membership fee. I grab their chicken Caesar salad and frozen latte at the snack bar, on my way out to fuel up for the ride home. Their customer service is worth every penny.We had 7 Costco within 20-55 minutes from our house. So no matter where I had to be there was a Costco near by.

If I had to only pick one it would be Costco. (I buy my eggs at TJ’s if farm is not available)

You don't have to clip coupons if you have the app.

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

You don't have to clip coupons if you have the app.

That means I have to add another app to my iPhone, spend more minutes than I want trying to find if there is a better price. It was a struggle to find products that I used. Now that we are south of 44, I am rarely think let’s drive to BJs when I can get to Costco faster in Clermont.

[FloridaGuy66]

I've been a Costco member for 30+ years. I've also been a BJ member for a year (didn't renew) and I'm an active Sam's member (2+ years) but used to "borrow" a friends membership for a decade before that.

Costco is unparalleled. You're essentially getting only top quality goods at a great price. They're return policy is probably the best in the US among all retailers. They will take anything back without question in most cases.

Sam's is good. Definitely better than 5-10 years ago. They sell good stuff but sometimes a little lower end things than Costco. When the Costco gets built here we might keep our Sam's membership for the great car wash and a few meat items that we like to buy sometimes at Sam's.

BJ's is like a mini version of both. Much less food selection. I don't see how they will survive here when the Costco opens up.

[MplsPete]

Where I live, the attendant at the door at Sam's doesn't really care if you show him your membership card. Costco is anal about checking your card when you enter, to the point of installing scanners that display your photo ID for the gatekeeper. Also, again unique to us, our Sam's is closer to poor neighborhoods, and has lots of customers we would probably not care to associate with, as opposed to Costco, which is suburban.
Also, the Costco near Iowa City has the biggest indoor parking lot I've ever seen. Rumor is that when they bought the land, there was a huge factory on it, which they kept and use for parking. Indoor parking: sweet.

[coralway]

Check Costcos stock price, that will answer your question

[Sherkugawa]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

I have never been in a Costco store, but many on this forum wax lyrical about them.

What are the main differences between a Costco and the other two?

Thank you

Costco has a wide selection of Prime meat. Costcos lamb is the best. The packaging of the chicken is bette, to me. There are a lot of similarities otherwise. The Kirkland Vanilla ice cream is the best I’ve ever had.

[ehonour]

Surprising (to me) answers to this question, most of them by people who don't shop at Costco. Gotta love it when people have an opinion about something they've not explored.

The difference is quality.

I've been a Costco member for well over fifteen years in other locations. When we moved to TV, I tried both Sam's and BJ's because they were close. Neither one came up to the same standards as Costco. So I continued to drive down to Tampa (now Clermont) to go to Costco. There are lots of boxed/wrapped commercial items (toilet paper, kitchen appliances, etc.) for which there is no difference. But most of the foodstuffs are simply better quality at Costco: better flavor, better choice, better price. I look forward to their opening here in TV.

[Switter]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

I have never been in a Costco store, but many on this forum wax lyrical about them.

What are the main differences between a Costco and the other two?

Thank you

I mentioned this in another thread about Costco coming here. I've been a member of Costco for about 10 years. I've had a membership at Sam's for a year when I first moved down here. When I found out they were opening a Costco in Claremont I let my Sam's membership lapse and now choose to drive 50 minutes (one way) and pay toll fees over shopping at Sam's.

Why?

Costco has the best:
Meat department: I compared steaks at Sam's, BJ's, and Costco. Costco steaks are about 1-1/4" to 1-1/2" thick. At Sam's you're lucky if it's 3/4" thick. BJ's meat department isn't even worth mentioning. Costco has awesome sirloin, ribeye, and New York strip.

Bakery: the stuff actually tastes like it was made by a real bakery, not store-bought like Sam's. Again, BJ's bakery isn't even worth mentioning.

Generic product line (Kirkland): almost everything I've gotten has been top notch. Probably the best generic product line anywhere. Much better than members Mark as far as I'm concerned. Couple of examples: Kirkland organic salsa is the best store-bought salsa I've ever had. Their frozen tilapia is sourced from India I guess, not China, so it's much cleaner and better quality. The Kirkland beef hotdogs are very good.The Kirkland red tail shrimp shrimp is incredible. Their bedsheets, toilet paper, kleenexes, and paper towels are all excellent.

Never tried anything from BJ's generic.

Return policy: 90 days on most everything, even if you've opened it and eaten part of it (for food). The only question they ask you is if there was something wrong with it. zero hassle returns. A previous neighbor of mine bought a couch and had it for over a month. They ended up not liking it so he just threw it on his snowmobile trailer without any of the original packing and brought it back. It's really kind of crazy.

Sam's carries a lot of namebrand food products that you would find at a Walmart. Costco seems to carry names you wouldn't recognize but are of a higher quality.

This might not be important to everyone but Costco treats its employees pretty well. when I was in Minnesota, I talked with a cashier and her assistant who loads the carts. Both of them had been there for over 10 years and loved working there.

In my opinion, it's not even close between the three.

[Jensor17]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

I have never been in a Costco store, but many on this forum wax lyrical about them.

What are the main differences between a Costco and the other two?

Thank you

Everything is different.
If you buy anything defective just bring it back. Even if you bought it year before I bought a Christmas tree that 1 row of lights just would not light — manager said. “Just bring it back for Refund. I don’t care if you drag it here on a chain behind your car

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by coralway

Check Costcos stock price, that will answer your question

I will buy a wide variety of items at a warehouse store but I would not by stocks there.

[jbartle1]

Originally Posted by MplsPete

Where I live, the attendant at the door at Sam's doesn't really care if you show him your membership card. Costco is anal about checking your card when you enter, to the point of installing scanners that display your photo ID for the gatekeeper. Also, again unique to us, our Sam's is closer to poor neighborhoods, and has lots of customers we would probably not care to associate with, as opposed to Costco, which is suburban.
Also, the Costco near Iowa City has the biggest indoor parking lot I've ever seen. Rumor is that when they bought the land, there was a huge factory on it, which they kept and use for parking. Indoor parking: sweet.

Poor neighborhoods, not care to associate with, hmmmm!

[westernrider75]

I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned the travel benefits through Costco. Everything you book through their travel department earns you a cash card upon completion of your trip. We got a $400 cash card for booking our Alaskan cruise through them.